


I did come here to compete internationally

by writingonpostcards



Series: Tumblr Ficlets - Check, Please! [23]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Commonwealth Games AU, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 06:39:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15657813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingonpostcards/pseuds/writingonpostcards
Summary: A Commonwealth Games AU meet-cute with diver!Bitty and waterpolo!Jack (+ bonus wingman!Shitty)





	I did come here to compete internationally

“I _really_ don’t know, Shits,” Jack has to say for the hundredth time.

“But that’s the whole reason I asked you here!” Shitty anguishes, waving the program around so much Jack feels his hair lift off his face. “Like, don’t all water athletes know about all the other water based sports?”

“I don’t know, Shits,” Jack retorts. “Don’t all track and field athletes know how the triple jump works?” Jack narrows his eyes at Shitty, reminding him of their disastrous trip to the athletic field yesterday.

Shitty groans and slumps back into the plastic chair. “Okay, fair point. I forgive you. So how about–Here’s a thought, literally just had it. How about instead of caring about the rules we can, I don’t know, care about wet, muscled, male athletes instead?” 

Jack watches another pair of divers somersault into the pool before turning to Shitty. “I thought you asked me here to talk you through the rules?” 

“Well, sure, but also…” Shitty leans in close enough that the people around them probably can’t hear. “There are many near-naked, eligible, men-interested-in-men here.”

“Shits!” Jack fights not to turn and see if anyone heard. “Can you keep it down?”

Shitty shakes his head. “You know me. Loud is my middle name.” Shitty grins at Jack, who feels his face heating.

“So” Shitty asks, clearly proud of himself. “Can we forget the false pretense under which I brought you here to focus on that other thing?”

Jack raises his eyebrows. “You’re serious? No, of course you are. How do you even know that there’s, you know…”

“Single gay men here?”

Jack nods.

“I got spies in every sport.”

“You sound oddly proud of that,” Jack comments dryly.

“Also I’m friends with Casper,” Shitty speaks on, nodding to the currently empty diving board. “He seems to be close with every diver here.”

“Right,” Jack says, watching the next pair of divers walk onto the platform.

“So does that mean you’ll keep an eye out?” Shitty asks.

“For what?”

“Bro. Come on.” Shitty leans in close again. “For someone to ask over for some one-on-one time.”

“No,” Jack says, refusing to look at Shitty.

“Aw, but you’re all finished. And a gold medal winner! Guys will be lining up.”

“You want me to pimp my gold medal out for sex?”

“Hell yeah,” Shitty screams, thankfully in time with the crowd as the divers enter the water.

Jack raises his eyebrows at Shitty, who frowns and continues, “Wait, no, I thought you were going to say something else there. Point is, we’re here another few days. You should enjoy yourself.”

“I’m enjoying myself fine, thank you,” Jack says uncomfortably. He loves Shitty, but sometimes his plans are too over the top for Jack’s taste. There’s a difference between stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something stupid.

“Alright-y. You think on it while I go grab food. My stomach is speaking to me. You want anything? Besides a hot guy to bone you?”

Jack shakes his head to both questions.

Without Shitty’s commentary, Jack can actually focus on the diving. He tries to remember which one is Casper so he can tell Shitty how his friend went, but he doesn’t even know which country he’s from, or if he’s in today’s event.

Jack doesn’t have a program to check, but the man next along in the row has one rolled up in his hand. There’s a few spare seats between them so Jack leans over to try and get his attention.

“Uh, excuse me?” Jack asks.

“One sec,” the guy replies without looking at Jack. He waits for the divers to land in the pool, then turns to Jack. “Yes?”

“Sorry to bother you–”

“It’s alright.”

“–but do you know which diver is Casper?”

“Sure. Casper Fiderer, or Casper Martin?” he asks without looking at the program. He must be a real fan

“I, uh…” Jack doesn’t know.

“No idea?” the guy asks, not unkindly.

“No idea,” Jack agrees. “Sorry.”

The guy nods, seemingly weighing something up as his eyes travel over Jack’s face.

“Okay then,” he says, turning in the seat toward Jack. “I’m gonna admit something.“I’ve been listening in on your conversation with, uh, ‘Shits’?”

“Shitty, actually,” Jack corrects, instead of saying something rational like ‘why were you eavesdropping’.

“Really? I was hoping I’d bean hearing that wrong.”

“Unfortunately not,” Jack says, making the guy laugh, which makes Jack smile.

“Fiderer,” he says after he’s stopped laughing. “He’s the one you’re after.”

“How do you know?” Jack asks.

“Well, it’d be hard not to know the guy I’m rooming with, wouldn’t it?” he teases, grinning.

Jack flushes. “Oh. You’re an athlete? Sorry, I didn’t realise”

“That’s alright. I wouldn’t have known you were either if I hadn’t been eavesdropping. And a gold medalist. Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Jack says automatically.

“We’ll have to compare sometime.”

“Compare what.”

The guy grins again. It flatters him. “Gold medals.”

“Really?” Jack asks. “Sorry. That sounded surprised. Again. I’m not meaning to be rude. I–” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “Well done. What sport?”

“Men’s 3m springboard. It’s why I can say with confidence your friend is right.”

“About what??

“Plenty of the guys out there would happily sleep with you.”

“Oh,” Jack says, blinking. Totally forgetting he and Shitty had been talking about that. “That’s…” 

“I can point out the divers who’d be interested if you want. I can’t guarantee–”

“No,” Jack interrupts hurriedly.

“That was firm,” the guy says.

Jack looks away from his curious gaze. “Yeah, I, uh… Not really my thing.”

The guy nods slowly at Jack before saying wryly, “Sometimes feels like that’s the minority feeling, doesn’t it?”

Jack nods. Most of the guys on his water polo team have certainly been embracing Shitty’s attitude.

“I’ve got friends at home who keep texting me asking if I’ve hooked up with anyone,” the guy continues, “and, it’s like, you know I did come here to compete internationally in a sport that’s my profession and not, like, have sex with random people.”

Jack can’t help but laugh at the tone of the guy’s voice as he explains it, and the exasperated hand gestures. “I get it. I get it. If you could tell Shitty that for me actually, I’d really appreciate it.”

The guy cocks his head at Jack. “You’re a gold medal winner, tell him yourself.”

“You’re a gold medal winner too.”

The guy laughs and Jack joins in. 

He moves into the seat beside Jack and holds out his hand. “I’m Eric.”

“Jack,” he replies, shaking Eric’s hand.

“You know, having said all that…if you’re not interested in just hooking up,” Eric says, looking away, “I could think of someone who’s on the same page and might be interested in getting to know you better.”

“Who?”

Eric turns back to Jack and then it clicks.

“You?”

Eric shrugs. “Yeah.”

“I just… I just spent several minutes telling Shitty I wasn’t going to. He’d never let me live it down,” Jack says without thinking, only realising he may have caused offense when Eric let’s out an ‘oh’ and starts fiddling with the program in his hand.

“Okay. Sorry. Then I–”

“Wait. Yes.” Jack interrupts.

“Yes?”

“Yes. I’m interested too. Even if Shitty never lets me forget that I did go home with a diver,” Jack confesses.

Eric smiles at him. The extended eye-contact gets a little much for Jack, so he opens his mouth to spoil the moment by saying, “If you were a silver medal winner, I would have turned you down. Just, by the way.”

Eric wacks him with the program in his hands.

They make sure to pass Shitty on their way out.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to [tumblr](http://17piesinseptember.tumblr.com/tagged/mine) where you can find more fic by me


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